Sources of stress and strategies for intervention during organisational change in a hospital environment

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Abstract

The present study investigated stress and stress management during organizational change. A diagnostic survey of 744 hospital employees undergoing a large-scale program of change was conducted. Sources of stress and possible strategies for intervention were determined using a qualitative approach. The major sources of stress were communication climate and resourcing issues. The intervention preferred by the majority of employees was an improved change process, including widespread dissemination of detailed information about the changes. The results also revealed some differences between occupational groups in what they described as significant sources of stress and what intervention strategies they requested. The paper concludes by discussing recommendations for managing stress during change.